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Why is the sturgeonās mouth located beneath and behind the snout tip?
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chondrostean
Russian sturgeon (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii) swimming along the seafloor of the Black Sea.
The sturgeonās mouth is located in a subterminal positionāmeaning it is situated behind and below the tip of the snoutābecause this anatomical feature is a specialization directly related to the fish's habit of bottom feeding.1
By having a mouth positioned in this way, the sturgeon is better adapted to forage for food along the river or lake floor. This feeding mechanism is further supported by the presence of four fleshy barbels that precede the toothless mouth, as well as taste buds surrounding the protractile lips, which help the fish detect and consume food in its benthic environment.1